Lever type connectors for reducing the mating force between a lever type connector and a mating connector are well known. FIGS. 8A–8B show an example of a conventional lever type connector 101 (see JP10-74561A). As shown in FIGS. 8A–8B, the lever type connector 101 comprises a housing 110. A plurality of contact accommodating openings 111 are formed in the housing 110. Contacts (not shown) having electrical wires (not shown) connected thereto are provided in the contact accommodating openings 111. Contact insertion openings 111a are formed in a mating surface of the housing 110 and communicate with the contact accommodating openings 111. Engaging projection members 112 are formed on an upper surface of the housing 110 in a right-side rear corner portion thereof and on an undersurface of the housing 110 in a left-side rear corner portion thereof. An inverted-insertion preventing piece 113 is formed so as to protrude from a first side surface of the housing 110. Projections 114 are provided above and below the inverted-insertion preventing piece 113 of the housing 110 and on a side surface opposite from a side on which the inverted-insertion preventing piece 113 is provided.
A wire cover 120 accommodates the housing 110. The wire cover 120 comprises a cover main body 121 having a housing accommodating cavity 122 on an inside thereof. The housing accommodating cavity 122 opens on a first side surface of the cover main body 121. An electrical wire lead-out opening 123 is provided in the cover main body 121 and is continuous with the housing accommodating cavity 122. The electrical wire lead-out opening 123 opens on a first side surface of the cover main body 121. A flexible locking piece 124 is provided at a right end portion of an upper surface of the cover main body 121. A locking opening 124a that engages with one of the engaging projection members 112 is formed in the locking piece 124. An engaging groove 125 that can engage with the engaging projection member 112 is formed in a bottom surface of the cover main body 121 opposing the locking piece 124. A plurality of contact insertion openings 126 is formed in a mating surface of the housing main body 121.
A lever 130 is attached to the wire cover 120 in a pivotable manner. The lever 130 is substantially U-shaped and comprises a pair of legs 131 and a linking member 132 that connects the legs 131. Attachment openings 133 are formed in base members of the legs 131. The attachment openings 133 are fitted over shaft members 128 provided on the upper surface and undersurface of the cover main body 121 of the wire cover 120 so that the lever 130 is mounted in a manner allowing the pivoting of the lever 130 between an initial position and a final position. The lever 130 is maintained in the initial position shown in FIGS. 8A8B by holding projections 129 provided on the wire cover 120 that enter holding openings 134 formed in the legs 131. The lever 130 is maintained in the final position by holding projections 127 provided on the wire cover 120 that enter holding openings 135 formed in the legs 131. Cam grooves 135, which engaging pins (not shown) provided on a mating connector (not shown) engage, are formed in tip ends of the legs 131 of the lever 130.
When the lever 130 is located in the initial position, the wire cover 120 can be mounted on the housing 110 in the non-inverted orientation shown in FIG. 8A or in the inverted orientation shown in FIG. 8B. In cases where the wire cover 120 is mounted on the housing 110 in the non-inverted orientation, the wire cover 120 is brought to the second side of the housing 110, as shown in FIG. 8A. The wire cover 120 is then moved in a direction of the arrow so that the housing 110 is accommodated in the housing accommodating cavity 122. When the engaging projection member 112 that is provided on the upper surface side of the engaging projection members 112 of the housing 110 engages with the locking opening 124a, the housing 110 is locked inside the housing accommodating cavity 122. The electrical wire lead-out opening 123 of the wire cover 120 is disposed on the first side, so that electrical wires (not shown) are led out from the first side of the housing 110 from the electrical wire lead-out opening 123 in a bundled state.
When the wire cover 120 is mounted on the housing 110 in the inverted orientation, the two surfaces of the wire cover 120, i.e., the upper surface and undersurface, are inverted, and the wire cover 120 is brought to the first side of the housing 110, as shown in FIG. 8B. The wire cover 120 is then moved in a direction of the arrow in FIG. 8B, so that the housing 110 is accommodated in the housing accommodating cavity 122. When the engaging projection 112 that is provided on the undersurface side of the engaging projections 112 of the housing 110 engages with the locking opening 124a, the housing 110 is locked inside the housing accommodating cavity 122. The electrical wire lead-out opening 123 of the wire cover 120 is disposed on the second side, so that electrical wires (not shown) are led out from the second side of the housing 110 from the electrical wire lead-out opening 123 in a bundled state.
A mating connector (not shown) is then mated with the lever type connector 101 when the lever 130 is in the initial position. The lever 130 is then caused to pivot to the final position so that the engaging pins (not shown) provided on the mating connector (not shown) are drawn in along the cam grooves 135 in a mating direction. The mating operation of the mating connector (not shown) and lever type connector 101 is thus completed.
In the lever type connector 101 shown in FIGS. 8A–8B, since the wire cover 120 can be mounted on the housing 110 in the non-inverted orientation or inverted orientation, electrical wires (not shown) can be led out from either the second side or the first side of the housing 110 so that the degree of freedom in the wiring is increased, and the work of running electrical wires can be performed efficiently. However, because the housing 110 is accommodated inside the wire cover 120, and the lever 130 is mounted on an outside of the wire cover 120, there is a problem in that the size of the lever type connector 101 itself is large.
FIG. 9 shows an example of another a conventional lever type connector 201, which makes it possible to lead out electrical wires from either a first or second side of a housing while avoiding an increase in the size of the lever type connector 201 itself. As shown in FIG. 9, the lever type connector 201 comprises a housing 210 provided with contacts (not shown). A wire cover 220 is attached to the housing 210 and covers electrical wires (not shown) connected to the contacts (not shown). One side surface of the wire cover 220 has an electrical wire lead-out opening 221 for leading the electrical wires (not shown) out of the wire cover 120. A lever 230 is mounted on the housing 210 so that the lever 230 can pivot between an initial position and a final position. The lever 230 can be mounted either in an initial position where the lever 230 is pushed over toward the first side of the housing 210 or where the lever 230 is pushed over toward the second side of the housing 210. In FIG. 9, the lever 230 is pushed over toward the first side of the housing 210 in the initial position.
When the lever 230 is mounted in a direction in which the lever 230 is pushed over toward the first side of the housing 210 in the initial position, the wire cover 220 is designed to be locked with the housing 210 by sliding the wire cover 220 leftward in a direction of arrow A from the first side of the housing 210 with the electrical wire lead-out opening 221 in front. When the lever 230 is mounted in a direction in which this lever 230 is pushed over toward the second side of the housing 210 in the initial position, the wire cover 220 is designed to be locked with the housing 210 by sliding the wire cover 220 rightward from the second side of the housing 210 with the electrical wire lead-out opening 221 in front.
When the lever 230 is caused to pivot from the initial position to the final position, a mating connector (not shown) is moved in a mating direction (i.e., in the upward direction from the bottom in FIG. 9) as a result of this pivoting to mate the mating connector (not shown) with the lever type connector 201. When the lever 230 is located in the final position, a locking member (not shown) provided on the lever 230 is locked with a locking member 222 provided on an upper surface of the wire cover 220 so that the final position of the lever 230 is maintained.
In the lever type connector 201, the electrical wires (not shown) can be led out from either the second side or the first side of the housing 210 by the wire cover 220 that solely covers the electrical wires (not shown). Additionally, the lever 230 and the wire cover 220 are mounted on the housing 210. The size of the lever type connector 201 itself can therefore be reduced. However, in the lever type connector 201, when the lever 230 is mounted in a direction in which the lever 230 is pushed over toward the first side of the housing 210, in cases where the wire cover 220 is caused to slide rightward from the second side of the housing 210 with the electrical wire lead-out opening 221 in front, and in cases where the wire cover 220 is caused to slide leftward from the first side of the housing 210 with the side opposite from the side on which the electrical wire lead-out opening 221 is present in front, there is a danger that the wire cover 220 will still be locked with the housing 210. Additionally, when the lever 230 is mounted in a direction in which this lever 230 is pushed over toward the second side of the housing 210, even in cases where the wire cover 220 is caused to slide leftward from the first side of the housing with the electrical wire lead-out opening 221 in front, and in cases where the wire cover 220 is caused to slide rightward from the second side of the housing 210 with the side opposite from the side on which the electrical wire lead-out opening 221 is present in front, there is a danger that the wire cover 220 will still be locked with the housing 210.
In such cases, the mounting direction of the wire cover 220 becomes opposite of the originally intended direction, creating a problem in that the electrical wire lead-out direction ends up being opposite of the originally intended direction. When the mounting direction of the wire cover 220 becomes opposite of the mounting direction of the lever 230, the lever 230 is caused to pivot from the initial position to the final position and the lever 230 contacts the wire cover 220. The lever 230 therefore cannot pivot smoothly, and even if pivoting is possible, the lever 230 cannot be locked in the final position.